1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ubiquitous computing that provides a computer environment using various instruments at hand instead of user-specific instruments. In particular, the present invention relates to a terminal on a ubiquitous communication system and a terminal management apparatus for managing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Studies have been conducted on so-called ubiquitous computing, in which a computer environment utilized by an individual user and various services given thereby, for example, sending and receiving e-mails, reserving and purchasing tickets of various types, are provided by instruments at hand instead of user-specific instruments.
There is also an ongoing study of a ubiquitous communication system that applies this concept of ubiquitous computing to communication instruments and combines a plurality of communication instruments such as mobile phones, facsimile machines and the like, thereby providing a communication function (see JP 9(1997)-62597 A, for example). Further, a system has been suggested in which a videophone function is provided by using a television and a video camera as a video transmitter-receiver and a mobile phone as an audio transmitter-receiver.